OACETT has three governing authorities: the OACETT Act, the Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, and its by-laws and policies.
OACETT was incorporated in 1962 and legislated under the Statutes of Ontario by the OACETT Act of 1984. The Act established OACETT as a self-governing body with right to title for its members. Later, the provincial legislature passed the OACETT Act of 1998, a revised act that includes a description of work for technicians and technologists.
While the OACETT Act establishes the association as a self-governing body, our by-law sets out how the association operates, defining all aspects of its governance.
For example, the by-law:
- defines membership and certification requirements
- outlines protocols for terms and duties of the executive, council and chapter representatives
- lists rules for dues and fees and administration of the association
The Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act was amended in 2022 and OACETT’s by-law was brought into compliance in May 2022 when the members approved By-law 20, which also made significant changes to OACETT’s governance model. As of June 2023, OACETT will be governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 14 members.
OACETT’s By-law 20 defines the President as follows:
“The President will preside as Chair at meetings of the Members and of the Board of Directors. The President is a member of the Board of Directors and shall be an ex-officio member of the Association’s Committees. The President shall have served a term as President-Elect and will be acclaimed President on completion of that term”.
The role includes, but is not limited to:
- meeting regularly with the CEO and the President-Elect to plan governance activities
- serving as the main spokesperson for the association
- undertaking outreach with Chapters and other key stakeholders and;
- holding OACETT’s vote on the Leadership Council of Technology Professionals Canada.
OACETT’s By-law 20 defines the President-Elect as follows:
“The President-Elect shall assist the President in carrying out the administration of the Association. The President-Elect on completion of their term shall be acclaimed as President. The President-Elect is a member of the Board of Directors”.
The role includes, but is not limited to:
- meeting regularly with the President and the CEO to plan governance activities
- meeting with key stakeholders
- outreach to Chapters, and;
- participating in the Leadership Council of Technology Professionals Canada.
OACETT’s By-law 20 defines the President-Elect as follows: “The Past President is the most immediate past President. In the event that the Past President is unwilling or unable to serve, then the office shall be filled by the next most immediate past President prepared to serve. The Past President is a member of the Board of Directors. The Past President will chair the Nominating Committee”.
The Past President also serves in a guidance and continuity capacity to the President and the Board of Directors.
Six Certified Members, one from each of the OACETT regions, (Western, Horseshoe, Toronto, Central, Eastern and Northern).
Regions are an important cultural norm within OACETT, hence ensuring that there is a voice from each region included on the Board of Directors.
Only Certified Members in good standing are eligible to serve as a Regional Board member.
A Young Professionals Committee (YPC) representative. Along with students, young professionals represent the future of the profession and the association, therefore a dedicated seat has been identified for that demographic group within OACETT’s Board of Directors.
The selected individual also serves as the Chair of OACETT’s Young Professionals Committee.
Along with young professionals, students represent the future of the profession and the association, therefore a dedicated seat has been identified for them within OACETT’s Board of Directors.
The role is held by a student member in good standing in their final year of their college program, and is therefore the only position on the Board of Directors that changes every year, rather than every two years.
A representative of the Heads of Technology of Ontario’s colleges. The Heads of Technology group (HOT) brings together the Deans of the technology programs in the colleges across Ontario.
Because students represent such a significant pipeline for OACETT members, strong relationships with the colleges are vital. Having a direct HOT representative on the Board of Directors is one key way to demonstrate the importance of that relationship.
OACETT staff and volunteers also participate regularly at HOT meetings.
Part of OACETT’s mission notes “…support for the benefit of the economy and safe and secure communities”, indicating a clear public mandate.
For that reason, a seat is reserved on the Board of Directors for a non-member representing that public interest.
Typically, the public non-member will also bring specific skill-sets that are identified by the Board of Directors as serving a particular need of the association and its members.
The CEO is an ex-officio and non-voting position. The CEO is a key member of OACETT’s leadership team, responsible for the operational implementation of the association’s strategic priorities.
Having the CEO as a member of the Board of Directors ensures alignment of priorities, while the non-voting capacity appropriately acknowledges the distinction between governance and management.
Committees
The Board of Directors sets the strategic direction for the association and provides oversight of the operational implementation of the strategy. A copy of the strategic plan for 2019-2024 can be found here.
Various governance tasks are also delegated to standing committees, a number of which are newly established as part of the new governance model. The chairs of the committees are members of the Board of Directors; most other committee members are OACETT members at large in good standing.
Board and committee members serve two-year terms, with a maximum of three consecutive terms. The Board of Directors also has the ability to establish ad hoc task groups or advisory committees as the affairs of the association require.
Copies of governing policies and Terms of Reference of OACETT Committees are available upon request from the office.
The mandate of the Registration and Professional Practice Committee is to assist the Board of Directors by managing the registration process and all functions dealing with:
- professional qualifications
- certification
- admissions
- discipline
- accreditation and standards
- examinations
- program evaluations
- education
- continuing professional development
- training
- similar functions
Registration & Professional Practice Committee (RPPC)
- Chair: Stephanie Pesheau, C.E.T. – Board of Directors, Northern Region
- Central Region Representative: Jennifer Hazelton, C.Tech.
- Eastern Region Representative: Dejo Oyediran, C.E.T.
- Horseshoe Region Representative: Rasheed Khan, A.Sc.T.
- Toronto Region Representative: Jose Catilo, C.E.T.
- Western Region Representative: Douglas Davidson, C.Tech.
- Director, Registration & Professional Practice: Barry Billing
- Recording Secretary: Audrey D’Souza
The mandate of the Member Engagement and Services Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in implementing:
- membership services
- strategizing member recruitment
- education delivery and retention
- developing processes for implementing these initiatives.
The Committee will be responsible for promoting the professional recognition of members. The Committee has responsibility for OACETT’s Region and Chapter network.
Member Engagement & Services Committee (MESC)
- Chair: Roy Sue-Wah-Sing, C.E.T. – Board of Directors, Toronto Region
- Central Region Representative: Jori Enstrom, C.Tech., rcji
- Eastern Region Representative: Justine Loader, C.Tech.
- Horseshoe Region Representative: Makeda George, C.E.T.
- Northern Region Representative: Pieter Bruwer, C.E.T.
- Toronto Region Representative: Sithambarapillai Suresh, C.Tech.
- Western Region Representative: Shervin Reyhani, C.E.T.
- Director, Member Engagement & Services: David Terlizzi
- Recording Secretary: Ana Sierra, CAE
The mandate of the Nominating Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in pursuing effective renewal, nominations, selection and elections processes for:
- the Board of Directors
- Board committees
- sub-committees
- task forces
- working groups
- representatives on external boards and committees
- other Board entities
Nominating Committee (NC)
- Chair: Rosanna Baggs, C.E.T., rcji, CAPM
- Adnan Chaudhry, C.E.T.
- Michael Kearns, A.Sc.T.
- Richard Seaman, C.E.T.
- Bob van den Berg, C.E.T.
- Rosanna Tyrer, C.E.T., rcji
- Rosemary Redgrift, C.E.T.
- Steve Barnes, C.E.T., Fellow OACETT
The mandate of the Finance and Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in pursuing effective financial management, planning and reporting.
Finance & Audit Committee (FAC)
- Chair: Brian Raymond, CD, C.E.T. – Board of DIrectors, Eastern Region
- Central Region Representative: Jason Gubbels, C.E.T.
- Eastern Region Representative: Yujing Luo, C.E.T.
- Horseshoe Region Representative: Anamika Desai
- Northern Region Representative: Michel (Mitch) Jerome, C.Tech.
- Toronto Region Representative: Palak Datta, C.Tech.
- Western Region Representative: Michael Belmonte, A.Sc.T., Fellow OACETT
- Director, Finance & Corporate Services: Arshad Zaver, CPA, CA
- Recording Secretary and Staff Support: Aziz Lakhani, MBA, CPA, Anne Murakami and Gunter Mark
The mandate of the Governance, Policy and Strategy Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in reviewing governing and strategic documents and processes, and for developing processes for implementing governance and strategic initiatives.
Governance, Policy & Strategy Committee (GPSC)
- Chair: Norman Sandberg, C.E.T. – Board of Directors, Central Region
- Central Region Representative: Yancy Ambing, C.E.T.
- Eastern Region Representative: Shawn Wessel, A.Sc.T., rcji
- Horseshoe Region Representative: Marco Ricci, C.E.T.
- Northern Region Representative: S.M. Raisul Islam, C.Tech.
- Toronto Region Representative: Ali Ghandour, C.E.T.
- Western Region Representative: Silvio Da Silva, C.E.T.
- Ex-officio, non-voting member: Christopher van Dop, C.E.T.
The mandate of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (the “Committee”) is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its responsibilities for activities related to:
- researching and documenting best practices for diversity, equity and inclusion.
- evaluating and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the association and in the profession.
- evaluating and conducting activities to increase diversity, equity and inclusion among the membership and volunteers of the association.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee (DEIC)
- Chair: Shelley Parker, A.Sc.T. – Board of Directors, Horseshoe Region
- Central Region Representative: Noor Rasul
- Eastern Region Representative: Peter Yeung, C.E.T.
- Horseshoe Region Representative: Gopal Sharma Pokharel, C.E.T.
- Northern Region Representative: Lionel Rudd, C.E.T.
- Toronto Region Representative: Hyonoh (Horace) Kim, C.Tech.
- Western Region Representative: Cassandra Cesco, C.E.T.
The mandate of the Young Professionals Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in evaluating the needs of, and implementing programs to attract and retain, young professional members, defined as members aged 18 to 36.
Young Professionals Committee (YPC)
- Chair: Mladen Ivankovic, C.E.T.
- Central Region Representative: David Cotter, C.E.T.
- Eastern Region Representative: Sabrina Dussault, C.E.T.
- Horseshoe Region Representative: Emad Riyaz Khan
- Northern Region Representative: Antonio Radford-Paz, C.Tech.
- Toronto Region Representative: Jordan Minos, C.E.T.
- Western Region Representative: Liiban Mohamud, C.Tech.
The mandate of the Human Resources Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its management responsibilities with regard to the performance management, compensation, succession planning and recruitment of the Chief Executive Officer and the succession planning and recruitment of the Registrar.
Human Resources Committee (HRC)
- Chair: Micheal Mooney, C.E.T.
- Member at Large: Samuel Nammari, C.E.T. – Western Region
Elections
OACETT Elections occur every two years and all Board and Committee members serve two-year terms with a maximum of three consecutive terms.
The first election in early January of an election year is for the President-Elect. Candidates have to have served a minimum of 4 years in provincial-level governance (i.e. on the Board of Directors or a standing OACETT Board committee).
The President-Elect serves a two-year term and then automatically becomes President for the next two-year term, followed by a final two-year term as Past President. All Certified members in good standing vote for the President-Elect by electronic ballot, unless there is only one candidate, in which case the individual will be acclaimed.
In mid-January of an election year, there will be a call to serve on the Board of Directors. A Board Profile will be developed, outlining the specific aptitudes and competencies sought, based on the identified needs of the association. The Nominating Committee will review all applications against the Board Profile as well as a demographic matrix and will recommend a slate of Board Members for election by Certified Members in good standing at the Annual General Meeting in May.
In early April of an election year, OACETT members will be invited to apply to serve on OACETT’s standing committees. For most committees, the Nominating Committee will review the applications and recommend a diverse complement of committee members to the Board of Directors for appointment. However, the members of the Member Engagement and Services Committee, which is seen as the direct voice of members and Chapters, are elected by Certified Members in good standing via electronic ballot, on a regional basis (i.e. the members in each region vote for their regional representative) in May of each election year.
Please see Article 3.5 of OACETT’s By-law 20 as well as OACETT’s Election Policy for the governing authorities on the association’s elections.